Liverpool, Home of Sea Level Science:

Sea Level Rise and Climate Change

A one day session on Tuesday 9 September during the British Association Festival of Science with distinguished speakers from the UK and abroad. See below for a timetable.

image of flier advertising the event

Many people are now concerned with climate and sea level change. It is important to recognise that Liverpool has produced a large number of firsts in tidal and sea level research and continues to lead international research in this area. Examples of firsts: some of the first measurements of UK tides by Jeremiah Horrocks (the man who also first predicted and observed the Transit of Venus); the first extended set of UK tidal measurements by William Hutchinson (Liverpool Dock Master and former privateer); the first reliable, publicly-accessible tide tables by Richard and George Holden (everyone in Liverpool will remember the Holden Tide Tables); one of the longest sea level records in the world showing sea level rise; development of the science of tides and storm surges by Proudman and others at Liverpool University and Bidston Observatory. Another major example of Liverpool's continued leadership concerns the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) founded by Proudman in 1933, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2008. The PSMSL is global data centre for long term sea level change information and is the source of our knowledge that sea level is rising. This one day session will explore some of the history and science of sea level changes and their relationships to other parts of the climate system.

Fliers give more information on the eventPDF file and on Liverpool's role in Sea Level Science PDF file. In association with this event, Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory produced a CD that chronicles the life and observations of William Hutchinson. This event was part of the BA Festival of Science in Liverpool from 6-11 September 2008.

Speakers:

Morning

9.15 Liverpool, the home of UK Sea Level Science (Philip Woodworth, Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory)
9.45 Climate change and link to global carbon usage - the main reason for warming and sea level rise (Ric Williams, Liverpool University)
10.15 How much has sea level changed recently? (Gary Mitchum, University of South Florida)
11.00 Sea level research in Liverpool: the work of the PSMSL on its 75th birthday (Lesley Rickards, British Oceanographic Data Centre)
11.30 How can anyone know how sea level has changed by digging a hole in a marsh? (Roland Gehrels, University of Plymouth)
12.00 Is the UK safe from tsunamis? (David Long, British Geological Survey)

Afternoon

14.00 Global sea level rise, melting polar ice-sheets, and the Earth's shape (Richard Peltier, University of Toronto)
15.00 How much are mountain glaciers and ice-caps melting? (Sarah Raper, Manchester Metropolitan University)
15.30 How much are Greenland and Antarctica melting and sea ice disappearing? (David Vaughan, British Antarctic Survey)
16.15 Measuring changes in the level of the land at the coast (Richard Bingley, University of Nottingham)
16.45 Are coastal floods and ocean waves changing? (Judith Wolf, Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory)
17.15 How much will sea level change in the future? Are Liverpool, London and other cities safe? (Jason Lowe, Met Office Hadley Centre)
17.45 Discussion